How to Get the Women You Desire into Bed: Masculinity and Rationality in the Pick-up Movement in Contemporary Russia

The subject of male-female interaction has been vital in all societies at all times. The existence of pick-up (seduction) communities confirms this truism. This thesis explores the complexities of a male self-organized Pick-up movement in Russia, which sets a goal of educating men how to pick up" (approach get acquainted start a relationship etc.) women and communicate with them in a more "efficient" way. In this work the following questions are discussed: What principles is the pick-up movement predicated upon? Does anything unify pick-uppers in terms of age class and other identity indicators? What views do they have on femininity and masculinity? Could it be any kind of response to "masculinity in crisis"?It is also discussed in this work how the concepts of technology rationality and irrationality are interlinked with the ways in which seduction community functions in Russia. "